Books

Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1922. Hardcover. Condition: Poor+. First Edition. First Printing with the Scribners seal on the copyright page and the concluding advertisements on pp. 451-452. 449pps. Publisher's dark blue-green linen-like cloth, the spine lettered gilt, the upper cover blind-stamped with the title and author, the fore-edge untrimmed. No dust jacket.Gilded lettering of the spine is worn due to age, with slight tearing on both top and bottom of the spine; slight watermark on front board; spine, slighlty pulled and pages yellowed from age. The Beautiful and Damned, in cut and edited form, first appeared in seven installments in Metropolitan magazine, from September 1921 to March 1922. The book, according to Bruccoli, came out on 4 March 1922, in a first impression of 20,600 copies. It went through two more printings that year, for a total of 50,000 copies. After the spectacular success of Fitzgerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920), he struck out in a new direction, presenting in The Beautiful and Damned a more sparing, focused narrative, relying largely on an omniscient narrator. "Its style," according to the Literary Encyclopedia, "moves towards that integration of romantic and modernist elements which will come to such dazzling fruition in his next novel, The Great Gatsby." Some pencilled underlining from prior owner.

"The Beautiful and Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a novel that delves into the lives of Anthony Patch and his wife, Gloria, as they navigate the complexities of wealth, love, and society in post-World War I America. The story unfolds in the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties, a time of societal upheaval and extravagant lifestyles. Anthony Patch, an heir to a substantial fortune, and Gloria, a beautiful young woman from Kansas City, are drawn together by their mutual attraction and shared desire for a luxurious existence. Their relationship initially thrives amidst the glitz and glamour of high society, where they revel in parties, excess, and the promise of an indulgent future. However, as their marriage progresses, cracks begin to appear. Anthony is a would-be writer, but his ambitions are eclipsed by his leisurely lifestyle and lack of motivation. Gloria, once full of life and aspirations, finds herself trapped in a cycle of dissatisfaction, yearning for something more fulfilling than the shallow existence offered by their wealth. Their downward spiral is exacerbated by alcoholism, infidelity, and the pressures of societal expectations. Anthony's inheritance is tied up in a legal battle, and without it, their extravagant lifestyle hangs in the balance. As they struggle with financial woes and personal demons, their marriage deteriorates. Fitzgerald masterfully portrays the allure and emptiness of the Jazz Age, painting a vivid picture of a society obsessed with wealth, appearance, and pleasure. Through the characters of Anthony and Gloria, he explores the fleeting nature of happiness and the perils of excess. Ultimately, "The Beautiful and Damned" serves as a cautionary tale about the pursuit of superficiality and the consequences of neglecting deeper values in favor of a life consumed by materialism and societal expectations. It captures the disillusionment and moral decay of an era characterized by opulence and hedonism, highlighting the fragility of relationships and the human spirit in the face of such excess.